Line-insulator.



n. P. RANsoM.

UNE msm/mm.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I i915. I

' l Patented Mar. 28,1916

2 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

RIM

mami/s y wfmssEs UNITED srarns PATENT .ormon- I DNIELTBXE RANSOM, 0F WOODSTOCK, VERMGNT.

LINE-INSULATOR.

` petticoat type.

The invention has for its general objects i. to improve the construction oi' insulators of the character referred to so as to be of durahle and substantial design, reliable and eiicient in use and made in sections which are' detachably connected together.

The more specific object of the invention is the provision of a novel connecting means between the sections of the insulator, whereby the sections can be easily and quickly connected without theuse of bolts, screws or equivalent separable fastenings, the connecting means being so designed that the two sections can be easily connected or disconnected when the latter are in inverted 'positio'rn or when in a'horizontal position by use of anythin instrument inserted to raise theblock, key or spring clear of the shoulder or lock, but which sections are locked against'detachment when the insula. 'tor is in upright or horizontal position.

1With these objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forthwith particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates certain embodiments of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a side view ol" a portion of an insulator with parts in section to show the details of construction; Fig. ,2 is a plan view of one'of the insulator sections; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of one of the sections; Fig. 4 is abottom plan view Yot' the central part of an insulator; Fig. 5 isa ,detail sectional view showing the relative position of two sections when they lare Abeing connected or dis' connected; Figi. 6 4is a perspective View of Specication of Letters Patent.

' Application led August 21, 191.5. Serial No. 46,750.

the locking block of the connecting means between adjacent sections; Fig. 7 is a side view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of locking means between adjacent sections of the insulator; Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of' the sections shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side View showing the connecting means between adjacent sections; Fig. l is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one of the sections; and Fig. 11 is a detail view of a further modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, l and 2 designate connected insulator sections having petticoat portions 3 of any desired construction, and depending from the center of each section is a stem or bolt 4 that terminates at its bottom in an oval shaped head 5 which is adapted to interlock in a channel 6 in the top of the metal boss or body 7 of the section next below. The channel is formed with undercut walls to provide shoulders 8 that engage over the opposite marginal portions or flanges 9.0i the plate 5. |lhe channel has an opening or mouth 10 at one side so that the plate 5 can slide into and out of it, but the channel is constricted at 1l so as to prevent the plate 5 from passing beyond a position where the stem 4 willbe directly over the center of the body 7 of the section suspended by such stem. The bottom of the chamber has a transverse rib or stop 12 behind which a prismatic locking block 13 is adapted to engage to'lock two adjacent sections together, this block being loosely hung `from the bottom of the head 5. The under side of the plate 5 has a recess 14 large Venough to accommodate the locking block when the insulator sections are inverted, as shown inr Fig. 5. While in this position the block can slide past the stop. 12, both in connecting and disconnecting lthe adjacent sections, but when the insulator sections are inverted the block drops behind the stop 12 and still partially extends into the pocket or recess 14 so as to prevent thev adjacent blocks from disconnecting by relative lateral movement.

When it is desired to disconnect the sections when not installed for use, they are inverted to'cause the lockingblock to drop out of engagement with the stop 1:2, so that the lplate 5 on the stem 4 can slip laterally out of the channel G. To remove defective insulators from a line or to separate adjacent sectionsthe block 13 may be lifted vinto the'recessb insertin athin blade instrument into t e channe 6 from the' side op positegfrom the stop 'or lock l2 and lifting the blscllr by the instrument aboveltheloclr 12 so asto clear thelatter as the insulator.

when once connected thevstructure is durable "a''he key Will locking position, as shown in Fig. 7,. To throw the key to unlocking 'position it is vfnierely necessary to ins/em a iat-blade in` vetrlnment into the open end 20 of the lchannel and nearly rigid, or at least to a degree that will eiectually prevent damage tothe porcelain by contact of the porcelain of one unit or section With the metal or porcelain of the adjacent unit,'or with the Wire clamp when attached. i

lin the constructionshovvn in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusivetheilocking means between adjacent'sections comprises a key or catch 15 which' is set into a chamber 16 in the bottom-surface of the oval-shaped head 5 of the bolt or stem 4', one end of the key being rmounted on a pivot 17 so that its free end 18 may engage a shoulder, stop or lock 19 formed in the .bottom of the channel 6. be maintained by gravity .in

6 so that the instrument will hold the key raised or released from the shoulder 1.9, whereupon the sections of the insulator can be detached by relative lateral movement causing the head 5 to slide out of the larger end ci thechanncl 6.

ln the modification shown in Fig. l1 a resilient catch 21 is mounted on the head 5a of the stem fl, so as to engage a lock, shoulder or stop22 in the bottom of the channel 6K. The resilient catch is in the form of a leaf spring secured by a suitable fastening A 23 to the bottom of the head 5, and the free end of the spring is adapted to engage the Vshoulder 22, as shown in Fig. il. This spring catch is disengaged in the sameA manner as is the pivoted catch shown in Fig. 7. From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those'skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and While ll have described the principle of operation, t0- gether with the device which I- nowcon sider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made whendesired as fall Within the scope oi' the appended claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, l claim as new and desire' to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of a pair of insulator -,sertion of 4an instrument three 'gh the s if the channel, 'said locking .means including 'afmovable element arranged to lyield during the insertion of the head in the sections having uniting means c inmate r sections, one section yhaving a channelpro vided with undercut walls,1both ends of the section havin 'a head engageable in the chan nel through t ie larger open end thereof, interlocking means between the .d and channel and adapted to be unloched'l L open endof said channel, and )adapted to automatically lock when the head reaches a predetermined position inf-the channel.l

2. The: combination of a pair of insulator sections, one section having a channel, member'on theother section engageable in the channel, a catch'on the member, and a. stopin the bottom of the channel with which the catch automatically engages by thcin scrtion of the member into the channel, said channel having an openingfor the insertion of an instrument to release the catchto pen mit the separation of the sections.

3. Aninsulator comprising actions, said nnected and disconnected by relative transverse movement of the sections,and a loch automaticall yield able to permit the uniting means .to con nected and automatically set. after the said uniting vmeans are connected., said imiting means having an opening `:tor the insertion of an instrument to unlock the lock.

4. The combination of al pair of insulator sections, one section having a channel,l the other section having a stem provided with a head engageable in the channel, a lcatch mounted on the head, and means 4in the channel with which the catch automatically en gages by the insertion of the headv into the channel.

-5. The combination 'of aI pair of insulator sections, one section having a channel, the other section havinga stem provided with a head engageable in the channel, a catch` mounted on tle head, and means in the channel with which the catch automatically en gages 4by the .insertion of the head into the channel, said channel having an opening7 for the insertion o f an instrument to throw the.

permitting of l liti spring catch fastened te the bottom of the head .and plovided with a, free end.v projecting from the bottom surface of the head.

In testimony whereof l have signed myname te this' specification in the presence of l15 two subscribing Witnesses.

DANIEL PARKE RANSOM.

Witnesses: J. R. PEMBER, Y

K O. PEMBER. 

